A computer supported video microscope is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,099. This computer supported video microscope comprises a microscope having a conventional microscope stand, a computer arranged separately with respect thereto and the peripheral apparatus belonging to the computer, namely: a monitor, printer, keyboard, et cetera. The computer includes various insert boards which make possible the communication to the peripheral apparatus as well as driving different motorized functions of the microscope such as the motorized focus drive and the motorized stage. The enormous requirement for space with such non-integrated solutions is disadvantageous because the entire microscope as well as the peripheral apparatus of the computer such as monitor, keyboard and, if required, other input means such as computer mouse or trackball must be arranged one next to the other on the work table.
A module-assembled microscope is also known from British patent application 2,084,754 which comprises a frame having several insert receptacles and wherein the illuminating module and the viewing module can be inserted in different receptacles of this frame. In this way, and depending upon requirements, an upright or an inverse microscope can be selectively realized with the aid of the same optical components. The possibility here is also suggested to connect a video camera with downstream image processing via a video output. The space requirement of this system is, however, at least as large as with the microscope of the above-mentioned United States Patent.
In addition, a monocular compact microscope is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,377 which includes a closed housing and wherein the microscopic specimen can be introduced for viewing into the interior of the housing via a housing opening. Here, a very simple microscope is however described wherein no computer support such as image recordation or image processing is possible.